TT Talk - Human trafficking in the supply chain: hidden risk, shared responsibility

Human trafficking and modern slavery are often described as being “hidden in plain sight”. For those operating in global transport and logistics, that phrase should prompt more than moral concern. It should raise a practical risk question: how well do we really understand the people, contractors, labour providers and subcontractors moving through our supply chains? 

In a recent TT Live discussion, Josh Finch, Logistics Risk Manager at TT Club, spoke with Nick Dale, Director of Intelligence and Prevention, and Matt Jolly, Intelligence Manager, from STOP THE TRAFFIK, an NGO focused on preventing human trafficking through intelligence-led strategies. Their message was direct: trafficking is not just a distant social issue. It is a business model, operated by organised criminals, which relies on vulnerability, opacity and weak oversight to generate profit. 

A world where people are not bought or sold

STOP THE TRAFFIK describes its vision as creating “a world where people are not bought or sold”. Its approach is to harness data, technology and networks to develop intelligence that can disrupt the traffickers’ business model. As Dale explained, trafficking is profitable because it exploits vulnerable people, meets demand for exploited labour, and enables criminal profits to move through legitimate financial systems. The objective, therefore, is to make trafficking less viable by reducing recruitment opportunities, identifying risk and disrupting the flow of money. 

For businesses, the scale of the challenge is significant. Jolly highlighted that forced labour and exploitation are embedded in supply chains around the world, with risks extending into the goods people buy, wear, consume and use every day. He noted that complex global supply chains, often involving multiple tiers of suppliers, subcontractors and labour providers, create more opportunities for exploitation to enter at points where visibility, regulation and accountability are weaker.  

Exploitation of the supply chain 

This is particularly relevant for transport and logistics. While much discussion around modern slavery focuses on manufacturing, agriculture or raw materials, the movement of goods itself can present risk. Truck drivers, seafarers, warehouse workers, agency staff and subcontracted labour may all face conditions that increase vulnerability, including isolation, language barriers, unfamiliarity with local rights, dependency on third parties and restricted ability to seek help. Jolly noted that workers in seafaring, logistics and trucking can be especially isolated, while migrant workers may be exposed to heightened risk when relocating for work. 

language barriers, unfamiliarity with local rights, dependency on third parties and restricted ability to seek help.

This intersects directly with broader supply chain criminality. Vulnerable workers may be targeted not only for labour exploitation, but also by organised criminal groups seeking insider access, information or assistance. People on the margins of the labour market can be particularly susceptible to coercion or manipulation. Once compromised, they may become trapped in wider criminal networks, with consequences for both the individual and the business.  

Vulnerable workers may be targeted not only for labour exploitation, but also by organised criminal groups seeking insider access, information or assistance.

Increased security risk 

The risk is not theoretical. Dale gave an example of an employment agency that had been infiltrated by an organised crime group. Workers were being supplied to manufacture goods for a company whose products ultimately entered recognised retail supply chains. Warning signs included excessive working hours, poor living conditions and workers not appearing to benefit from their wages. His point was simple but important: had someone been sufficiently curious about the supply chain and the experience of those workers, the exploitation may have been identified sooner.  

Intelligence led curiosity 

Curiosity, however, must be supported by structure. STOP THE TRAFFIK’s work is built around intelligence. Its Traffic Analysis Hub brings together around 12 million data points, including open-source information and material from NGOs around the world, to understand trafficking threats and analyse supply chains. Algorithms are used to identify indicators of risk, with human intelligence specialists reviewing and developing reports. Crucially, the organisation also works with businesses to understand supply chain risk through bespoke analysis.  

The value of intelligence sharing was illustrated through the Modern Slavery Intelligence Network, convened by STOP THE TRAFFIK across the food and agriculture sector. In one case, information from one member about a suspicious subcontractor was connected with information from another member about questionable recruitment activity. The entities were linked to the same address, enabling wider reporting and, ultimately, the removal of job adverts that may have led vulnerable people into exploitation.  

For logistics operators, ports and terminals, practical action starts with governance. Human trafficking is both a human rights issue and a material business risk, capable of disrupting supply chains, damaging reputation and increasing regulatory pressure. Businesses should engage senior stakeholders, map supply chains, identify where risk may sit by sector, geography, commodity and supplier tier, and then tailor due diligence accordingly. Generic checklists are unlikely to be enough. The better approach is targeted questioning, informed by the specific risk profile of the operation.  

There are also warning signs that should prompt challenge. Deals that appear too good to be true may indicate that someone, somewhere, is carrying an unacceptable cost. Dale cited an example involving outsourced security, where a company was offered 24 hours of service while paying for only eight. The implication was labour abuse, with direct operational consequences including tired security personnel, increased theft exposure and the involvement of actors no responsible business would want in its supply chain. 

Strengthening legislation 

Legislation is also moving in a clear direction. The UK Modern Slavery Act requires certain companies operating in the UK to publish a modern slavery statement, while developments in the EU and US indicate increasing emphasis on mandatory human rights due diligence and import controls. Businesses will increasingly be expected to demonstrate not merely that they have recognised the risk, but that they are actively mitigating it.  

Reporting pathways are an important part of this response. STOP THE TRAFFIK’s STOP APP allows safe and, if chosen, anonymous reporting of suspicions relating to human trafficking. Reports are investigated and may be developed into intelligence for organisations able to act, including law enforcement where relevant. The app has had over 170,000 downloads, is available in 23 languages, and can be promoted by businesses through supplier requirements, posters, QR codes and worker engagement.  

Call to action

The call to action for the transport and logistics industry is to look harder, ask better questions and build the mechanisms that allow people to speak up safely. Human trafficking thrives where supply chains are opaque, where workers are isolated, and where commercial pressure discourages scrutiny. But it can be disrupted where businesses combine curiosity, intelligence, collaboration and responsible governance. 

As STOP THE TRAFFIK reminded listeners, if businesses are not finding exploitation, it may not be because it is absent. It may be because it is hiding in plain sight. For TT Club Members, the challenge is to ensure that modern slavery and trafficking risk is treated not as a peripheral compliance issue, but as a core element of resilient, secure and responsible supply chain management.